Filling system for still beverages

ABSTRACT

A filling system comprising a discharge unit to fill still beverages under an open ambience into containers is characterized in that an annular nozzle blowing a sterile gas in the direction of filling is mounted on the filling system concentrically with said discharge unit.

[0001] The invention relates to a filling system of the kind stated in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Still-beverages filling systems usually are used in the generic configuration, that is open, without sealing the discharge unit relative to the container rim.

[0003] Because the filling system's discharge unit is not sealed relative to the container, there is danger the beverage shall be contaminated with oxygen and germs. In the case of rigorous requirements that there shall be absence of oxygen and germs, the filling procedure must be carried out in sealed manner and thus the apparatus must also be more complex.

[0004] The objective of the present invention is to create a filling system of the initially cited kind which meets high requirements of absence of oxygen and of high sterility while filling in open state.

[0005] This objective is attained by the features of claim 1.

[0006] The filling system of the invention comprises an annular nozzle from which issues an annular or sleeve-shaped gaseous curtain in the direction of and concentrically with the beverage filling stream. This curtain encloses the discharge unit and its edge, that is, as regards bottles, their neck, and it seals the inside of the curtain against externally penetrating gas and hence against the entrainment of oxygen and germs. A convention sterile and oxygen-free gas such as nitrogen or CO₂ may be used.

[0007] The features of claim 2 are advantageous. A source of sterilizing radiation preferably configured annularly around the filling system irradiates the container rim or the neck zones respectively, and where called for also the surroundings and additionally assures freedom from germs in this region. Filling sterility is further improved as a result. Said source may be operated in pulsed or continuous manner and it may emit suited sterilizing radiation such as gamma radiation. An annular fluorescent lamp emitting uv is especially well suited for the present purpose.

[0008] The features of claim 3 are advantageous. The gas-jet nozzle preferably pointing into the container orifice, before filling starts may blow sterile gas into the container and rinse it, so that any germs and oxygen present therein are removed. In this manner sterility and freedom from oxygen during filling shall be further improved. The gas issuing from the container is removed by the gas curtain. Any germs contained in it will be killed by the sterilizing radiation.

[0009] The attached single figure illustratively and schematically shows a partly sectional sideview of a filling system of the invention during bottle filling, above a bottle.

[0010] The container to be filled is shown as a modem beverage bottle 1 made of PET or another material and is fitted below the rim 2 of its mouth at the neck 3 with the conventional neck collar 4. By means of elements not shown, for instance a bracket gripping below the collar 4, the bottle 1 is kept in the shown position.

[0011] A filling system 5 is configured above the bottle and comprises a discharge unit 6, here shown in simplified manner as a tube, from which the beverage 7, as shown, is filled into the bottle 1 as shown.

[0012] In this procedure, the lower rim 8 of the discharge unit 6 is spaced above the rim 2 of the bottle 1. Accordingly filling takes place under the open ambience. Such a filling mode is conventional with still beverages being filled under unpressurized conditions.

[0013] An annular nozzle 9 is mounted around the discharge unit 6 and drives downward a gas, which is fed to it from an omitted source of sterile gas through a feed line 10, by means of an annular nozzle orifice directed parallel to said discharge unit 6. The gas is expelled downward in the direction of the arrows 11 and in this manner constitutes a sleeve-like cross-sectionally circular gas curtain enclosing the discharge unit 6 and the neck 3 of the bottle 1.

[0014] In this manner the space in the vicinity of the rim 2 of the bottle 1 and between the bottle and the discharge unit 6 is protected against entry of oxygen and germs present in the ambience. Illustratively nitrogen or CO₂ may be used as the sterile gas. An omitted valve in the feed line 10 may be actuated to assure that the curtain of sterile gas shall be ON only during filling.

[0015] At the filling system 5, shown in this embodiment being mounted on the annular nozzle 9, a circular fluorescent lamp is provided to generate uv light. This lamp includes an annular reflector 12 and an annular tube 13. This annular lamp radiates downward in the direction of the arrows 14 onto the region of the neck 3 and the rim 2 of the bottle 1 and in this manner its uv irradiation assures further improvement in sterility in this region.

[0016] The filling system 5 moreover is fitted with a jet nozzle 15 which in this embodiment is mounted inside the discharge unit 6 and is connected to the outside by a supply line 16. The jet nozzle 15 also is supplied with pressurized, sterile gas which said gas-jet nozzle in turn blows in the direction of the arrow 17 into the orifice of the bottle 1. Omitted valves drive the jet nozzle 15 in such a way that it shall blow sterile gas into the bottle before filling begins in order to lower the oxygen content in said bottle and to flush out any germs it may contain. In another embodiment, this jet nozzle 15 also may be mounted next to the discharge unit 6 while pointing at the orifice of the bottle. 

1. A filling system (5) fitted with a discharge unit (6) to fill still beverages (7) into containers (1) in open state, characterized in that an annular nozzle (9) blowing sterile gas in the direction of filling is mounted on the filling system (5) concentrically with the discharge unit (6).
 2. Filling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a sterilizing source of radiation (12, 13) radiating in the direction of filling is mounted on the filling system (5).
 3. Filling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a jet nozzle (15) blowing a sterile gas in the direction of filling is mounted on the filling system (5). 